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Dean's trial moved east, starting date not yet set

By PEGGY McCRACKEN

Staff Writer

PECOS, October 17, 1996 - Reeves County Democratic Party Chairman Bobby Dean won his bid to have his trial on a charge of tampering with government records moved to Monahans, but no trial date has been set.

Visiting Judge Paul McCollum of Odessa granted Dean's motion in a pre-trial hearing Sept. 20 in the absence of District Judge Bob Parks.

Judge Park's court administrator, Cathy Adams, said this morning that she is awaiting Judge McCollum's order so she can set a trial date before Judge Parks.

A Reeves County grand jury indicted Dean for allegedly changing election forms submitted by Mickey Vasquez in his effort to become a candidate for Precinct 1 Reeves County Commissioner in the March Democratic Primary.

Vasquez' filing petition was unsigned when it was notarized by Dean just before the Jan. 2 filing deadline. Vasquez was unable to re-file before the deadline, and is running as one of two write-in candidates against incumbent Lupe Garcia in the Nov. 5 election.

Former Pecos artist's book gets notice in Austin

By MARI MALDONADO

Staff Writer

PECOS, October 17, 1996 - With the publication of his hard-bound comic book earlier this year, Walt Holcombe has been discovered and was recently featured on the front page of the Life and Arts section of the Austin American-Statesman.

The 27-year-old Holcombe, son of local attorney Walter Holcombe, was in town Aug. 24 for an autographing party of his first book, The King of Persia, hosted by the West of the Pecos Museum.

More than a month prior to his Pecos appearance, the junior Holcombe had a similar reception in Austin.

At both assemblies, Walt entertained groups by playing his musical saw.

He is a 1987 graduate of Pecos High School, from where he went on to study art at institutes in California and Austin.

The King of Persia, a slim, 56-page, stiff-back volume, was released by Accordion Press and printed in Montreal, Quebec, Canada by Quebecor Printing.

The American-Statesman story said Walt's work was featured in three separate exhibits displayed at 8-Ball Studios, Alternate Current Artspace and the FringeWare store.

In the write-up Statesman staff writer Harley Jebens explains that Holcombe doesn't expect to get rich off his work, which he describes, "laboring in the field of `alternative' or `underground' comics."

The achievement of his latest work was financially aided by grant monies from the Xeric Foundation. "There's a small bit of prestige associated with receiving a Xeric grant," said Walt. "It can serve as a springboard to future projects with publishers; it helps you get noticed. I also think the Xeric grants have inspired a lot of people. An `If that lazy (guy) can do it, so can I,' type of thing," he continued.

The young Holcombe's first cartoon was published at the age of 11 in Jack and Jill magazine and he began drawing cartoon for the Enterprise at age 13. He has published comic strips and other art work for comic books, National Lampoon, Pal-Yat-Chee and Jab.

Early voting's opening day moves slowly

By PEGGY McCRACKEN

Staff Writer

PECOS, October 17, 1996 - Early voting moved like cold molasses on the first day Wednesday, with only 57 voters showing up at the polls in the lobby of Reeves County Courthouse.

Another 28 had voted by noon today, said voting clerk Nora Briceno.

Briceno and Debbie Thomas are conducting the early voting for the General Election, which is set for Nov. 5.

Voters will be casting ballots for president, as well as in U.S. Senate and House races. Republican Phil Gramm is being challenged by Victor Morales in the Senate race, while GOP incumbent Henry Bonilla is facing Democrat Charles P. Jones in the House race.

All Reeves County voters will cast ballots in the county's uncontested state representative's race, while Orla's votes will also cast ballots in the multi candidate race for District 28 in the Texas Senate.

Locally, there is only one contested race on the ballot, in Precinct 1, where incumbent commissioner Lupe Garcia is being challenged by two write-in candidates, former commissioner Felipe Arredondo and Mickey Vasquez.

Voters will also have the chance to write in Walter Holcombe's name in the race for Reeves County Attorney. There is no candidate's name on the ballot for that position, after incumbent Bill Weinacht declined to seek a second four-year term.

POLICE REPORT

EDITOR'S NOTE: Information contained in the Police Report is obtained from reports filed by the Pecos Police Department, Reeves County Sheriff's Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, or other agencies; and from interviews with officers of those agencies.

Mark Renteria was arrested on a warrant for terroristic threat on Oct. 8. His age and address were not mentioned.***Roberto Ybarra, Jr., was arrested for theft over $50 Oct. 8 at Gibson's True Value store, 810 W. Walthall St., after police received a report of a shoplifter. His age and address were not given.***Police arrested Manuel Florez, 54, for DWI, refusal to submit to breathalizer, on Oct. 9 in the 300 block of North Walnut Street.***Jorge Ramirez, 25, 546 Martinez St., was arrest at his residence by police for assault under the Family Violence Act the morning of Oct. 10.***Adan Cardenas reported to police that sometime between Oct. 11 at 8:50 a.m., and Oct. 12, his vehicle had been broken into while parked at his residence, 2012 Washington St. Other details of the crime were not indicated.***Police arrested Gabriel Ornelas, 18, 905 S. Pecan St., for deadly conduct in the corner of Fifth and Oleander Streets the night of Oct. 12.***Ricky Dominguez reported a hit and run accident on Oct. 12., occurring in the rodeo grounds parking between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. that day.***On Oct. 14, Joseph Urias, 21, 1812 Washington St., was arrested by police on a warrant motion for surrender of principal on an original charge of aggravated assault. He was taken into custody in the corner of Third and Orange Streets.***On Oct. 10, Herby Garcia Armendariz was arrested for theft and having no driver's license. He was stopped by police after receiving reports of an individual taking two barbecue grills from the Wal-Mart sidewalk.

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